"I'm feeling good. I'm trying to get back in shape and on the ice as soon as possible,'' he said while watching the Crunch's morning skate in the War Memorial. "It's obviously tough. But the main thing is to stay positive. This happens in hockey.''

At the time of the injury - caused when he took a shot off the hand - Namestnikov was tied for fourth in the AHL with 21 points. He hopes to resume that clip whenever he returns to the ice, which could be around 4-6 weeks.

"That's the goal,'' he said. "Come back and help the team win. Produce as much as possible. Obviously, it's not going to be easy.''

This is the second time in as many pro seasons that the playmaker has suffered a bad injury. Last year, he was sideline by a shoulder ailment. Namestnikov said he's spoken with his dad, former Crunch defenseman John Namestnikov, for advice.

"He said everything is going to be alright,'' Vladdy said. "He said don't force it (a comeback) too early. Wait until it's all healed up.''